Valve for controlling air-brakes and the like.



H. T. HALL.

VALVE FOR GONTROLLING AIR BRAKES AND THE LIKE.

APPLIOATION FILED MAY 9, 1913.

1,089,640,, Patented Mar. 10, 1914,

IN l/E N TOR ,4 TTOHNEY HIRAM L. HALL, OF OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA.

VALVE FOR CONTROLLING AIR-BRAKES AND THE LIKE.

Original application filed November 7, 1912, Serial No. 730,033.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 10, 1914. Divided and this application filed May 9,

Serial No. 766,651.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that T, HIRAM T. HALL, a citizen of the United States, residing at ()akland, in the county of Alameda and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Valves for Controlling Air-Brakes and the like, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in valves for controlling air brakes and the like.

The principal object of the invention is to provide an improved controlling valve whereby a minimum, medium or maximum braking action can be obtained, and maintained, for the desired length of time, and whereby exhaust may be conveniently and quickly effected so as to render the braking mechanism sensitive and instantaneously responsive to the controlling mechanism.

Further objects and features of the invention will be more fully described in connection with the accompanying drawings, and will be more particularly pointed out in and by the appended claims.

In the drawings :Figure l is a plan view of a controlling valve. Fig. 2 is a sectional view thereof taken on lines 22 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the controlling valve taken on line 33 of Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a plan view of the valve seat with certain valve ports shown in dotted lines. Fig. 5 is a bottom plan view of the valve disks of said controlling valve. Fig. 6 is a sectional view on lines 66 of Fig. 3.

Like characters of reference designate similar parts throughout the different figures of the drawings.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, my improved valve is designated as a whole by reference numeral 14.

As illustrated, the controlling valve comprises a valve seat 7 6 on which a rotatable closure 77 operates. The valve seat 76 is provided with a passage 78 which leads to atmosphere and which extends through the seat 7 6 and is provided with a port terminal 79. A passage 80 is connected by a suitable pipe to the brake cylinder. The passage 80 has a large terminal port opening to the valve seat and which is indicated at 81. Smaller port terminals 82, 83 and 84-, 0t graduated size, lead from the valve seat into the passage 80. The valve seat portion 76 is also provided with a passage 85 which is connected by a suitable pipe with the stor-- age tank. The passage 85 leads into a valve chamber 86 and through a passage 87 to an axial valve seat passage 88. The passage 87 is controlled by a valve 89 having wings 90 which project into the axial passage 88. A spring 91 interposed between the valve 89 and a removable cap 92, normally tends to seat the valve 89, as illustrated in Fig. 3. The valve closure 77, the closure of which is of disk-like form as shown in Fig. 5, is provided with a hollow stem 93 which projects into the axial passage 88. The hollow stem 93 communicates with a chamber 94 of the valve casing 95 through ports 96 in the closure 77. The stem 93 is provided with cams 97 and 98, formed by cutting away a portion of the stem 93, as shown in Fig. 6, said cams 97 and 98 serving to engage the ends of the wings 90 so as to unseat the valve 89 when the closure 77 is turned in either direction from the central position shown in Figs. 1 and 3.

It will be clear from the foregoing that the passage 85, which communicates with the storage tank, conveys the air to the controlling valve 14 so that it may be dis tributed in accordance with the operation of the controlling valve.

The disk 77 of the controlling valve is provided with an elongated concentric cavity 99 and also with a relatively short port 100. The cavity 99 is in the form of a groove which does not extend through the disk whereas the port 100 extends com pletely through the disk, as will be seen by reference to Fig. 5.

The closure 7 7 is held upon the valve seat 76 by a spring 101 which is interposed between the shoulder 102 and a handle head 103. The handle head 103 and the tubular extension 104E are provided with interfitting teeth 105 and 106, respectively, so that when the handle head is turned it will transmit rotary movement to the valve disk closure 77. A suitable packing 107 is interposed between the casing 95 and a shoulder on the handle head in order to prevent leakage. A handle or lever arm 108 is keyed on the handle head 103 and is provided with a spring pressed pin 109 adapted to enter suitably spaced notches 110 and 111 and 112, formed on the casing 95.

The handle 108 is shown in a neutral position in Fig. 1, or in other words, with the valve closure 7 7 in such a position as to pre vent flow of air through the valve it. It the handle 108 is moved in the direction of the arrow at of Fig. l, the port 100 will first register with the smallest port terminal 8% so as to admit a small or limited quantity of air to the brake cylinder. This will result in a slight application of the brakes. If the handle 108 is given a further turn, then the port 100 will reach port 83 and air will be admitted to the brake cylinder through both ports 83 and 8e. A still further movement of the handle 108 in the direction of the arrow a will bring port 100 into registry with terminal 82 and a still further movement will bring port 100 into registry with all of the ports 82, 83 and 84c, and also the large port 81, wher upon a maximum application of the brakes will be effected. It will be understood that when the handle 108 is moved in the direction of arrow a, as hereinbefore described, the cam 97 will have engaged the wings 90 so as to unseat the valve 89 thereby allowing air under pressure to flow from the tank through passage 85 and through the stem 93 through the chamber 9st and down through the port 100 and the ports 82, 83, 8d and 81, as hereinbefore described. It a minimum or maximum or medium application of the brakes has been effected and it is desired to maintain such brakes, then the handle 108 will be returned to the position shown in Fig. 1 and the port 100 will be moved iito the position shown in Fig. 3. This will bring an imperforate portion of the valve disk 77 over the ports 81, 82, 83 and 84: so as to maintain whatever braking pressure which has been applied. hen the handle is turned back into the position shown in Fig. 8, then the valve 89 will be released by the cam 97 and will again seat and close further air supply to chamber 94. Thus the valve closure 7? will not be subjected to greater pressure than is used in the brake cylinder.

Assuming that a certain braking pressure has been applied, and that it is desired to release the brakes, then the handle 108 is turned in the direction of arrow 1), in Fig. 1, whereupon the concentric cavity 99 will connect the port terminals 81, leading to the brake cylinder, with the terminal 79 leading to atmosphere. This will exhaust air from the brake cylinder so as to release the brakes. When air is to be exhausted from the brake cylinder, through the valve 1e it will of course not be necessary to admit air and unseat the valve 89 and therefore cam 98 is so disposed that it will not reach the wings 90 when the advance end of the concentric cavity 99 registers with port 81. Obviously the release of the brakes will cause the operator to return the handle 108 to a neutral position and the valve 89 will not be unseated. However, in case the operator should want to effect admission of air through the valve, without applying brakes, the handle 108 could be turned in the direction of arrow 5 sufliciently to let the air pass through the valve and out to atmosphere in order to test the apparatus.

\Vhile l have herein shown and described one specific form of my invention, 1 do not wish to be limited thereto except for such limitations as the claims may import.

I claim 1. A controlling valve comprising in combination, a valve seat portion having ports of graduated sizes for communicating with an air brake cylinder, a port opening to atmosphere, a port for communicating with a source of compressed air and the interior of said valve, and a closure having athrough port adapted to connect the interior of said valve with any one or all of said graduated ports, said closure also having a cavity for connecting one of said graduated ports with the atmosphere port of said valve seat portion, substantially as described.

2. A controlling valve comprising in com bination, a valve seat portion having ports of graduated sizes communicating with said brake cylinder, a port for communicating with an air reservoir and the interior of said valve, and a closure for said valve having a port adapted to connect the interior of said valve with any one or all of said graduated ports, said closure also having an imperforate portion adapted to close said graduated ports to maintain partial or full braking pressure subsequent to the application of such pressure, substantially as described.

8. A controlling valve comprising in combination, a port for communicating with a brake cylinder and a passage for communicating with an air reservoir and the interior of said valve, a passage closure normally preventing ingress of air to said passage to the interior of said valve, a valve closure for connecting and disconnecting said brake cylinder port with and from the interior of said valve, and means operated by said valve closure for unseating said passage closure when said brake cylinder portis opened, substantially as described.

4:. A controlling valve comprising in combination, a casing provided with a flat floor and having a central recess, said floor having a port adapted to connect with a brake cylinder and also a port leading to atmosphere, said casing being provided also with a port connecting with said central recess, a valve closure mounted in contact with said floor and having a projection extending into said recess, said closure also having a central flue port whereby air is admitted into the interior of the casing from said recess and, a through port for connecting the interior of the casing with said brake cylinder port, and a closed port adapted to connect said brake cylinder port with said atmosphere port.

5. A controlling valve comprising in combination, a casing provided with a fiat floor and having a central recess, said floor having a port adapted to connect with the brake cylinder and also a port leading to atmosphere, said casing also being provided with a port connecting with said central recess, a valve closure mounted in contact with said floor and having a projection extending into said recess, said closure also having a central through port whereby air is admitted into the interior of the casing from the recess and a through port for connecting the interior of the casing with said brake cylinder port, and a cavity adapted to connect said brake cylinder port with said atmosphere port, a check valve intermediate said inlet port and said recess, and means for opening said check valve when said through port is in communication With said air cylinder port.

6. A controlling valve comprising in combination, a casing provided with a flat floor and having a central recess, said floor having a port adapted to connect with the brake cylinder and also a port leading to atmosphere, said casing also being provided with a port connecting with said central recess, a valve closure mounted in contact with said floor and having a projection extending into said recess, said closure alsohaving a central through port whereby air is admitted into the interior of the casing from said recess and, a through port for connecting the interior of the casing with said brake cylinder port, and a cavity adapted to connect said brake cylinder port with said atmosphere port, a check valve intermediate said inlet port and said recess provided with vanes extending into said recess, said projections being provided with cam-like surfaces adapted to open said valve when said closure is in position to pass air through the brake cylinder port and also when the closure is p in the extreme exhaust position.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HIRAM T. HALL.

lVitnesses FRANK H. CARTER, F. P. SGHROEDER.

moment of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner 0! Patents, Washington, I). G. 

